Five Things You Need to Know Today: March 17, 2011

1. Happy St. Patrick’s Day! St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, died on this date in 460 A.D. Still not sure of exactly what he did? While St. Patrick’s life has always been a bit of a mystery, it is known that St. Patrick was taken prisoner by Irish raiders and spent six years captive. Scared and alone, St. Patrick turned to religion and became a devout Christian. After escaping and traveling to Britain, God spoke to him in a dream telling him to become a missionary. St. Patrick became a priest and returned to Ireland to begin converting the Irish to Christianity. 

2. State Senator Jennifer Beck will be attending Oceanport's Borough Council Meeting tonight at 7 p.m. at Borough Hall to inform the council and residents on recent legislative action regarding Monmouth Park, horse racing, wagering, etc. All residents are invited to attend, and ask questions.

3. Markham Place School debuts their rendition of “Beauty and the Beast” at 4 p.m. today at a cost of $3.00. The show will continue its run on Friday, March 18 and Saturday, March 19 at 7 p.m. for a cost of $5.00.

4. Today is Thursday and that means Oceanport Borough Library has storytime! 

•  Baby Storytime (ten months to twenty three months) is from 9:30 a.m. - 9:45 a.m.
• Toddler Storytime (three and a half years-old to five years-old) is from 10 a.m. - 10:20 a.m.
•  Preschool Storytime (three and a half years-old to five years-old) is from 11 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
•  School Age Storytime (kindergarten and up) is from 4 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. 

5. Governor Chris Christie recognizes this week as “Sunshine Week”! According to a press release out of Trenton, “Sunshine Week is  a national initiative to open a dialogue about the importance of government transparency and freedom of information.” To read more, click here.